1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fingerprint recognition method, and more particularly, to a fingerprint symmetry axis extraction method and a fingerprint recognition method using the fingerprint symmetry axis, which can improve the accuracy of the fingerprint recognition by extracting a symmetry axis from a fingerprint. The present invention further relates to a fingerprint symmetry axis extraction method that can extract a fingerprint symmetry axis using a ridge range direction of each block included in a fingerprint image and to a fingerprint recognition method using the extracted fingerprint symmetry axis.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a retina, an iris, a vein, a face, and a fingerprint have been used as personal authentication means. Among them, the fingerprint has been widely used as it can provide high authentication reliability and stability and high recognition speed.
In a related art fingerprint recognition system, feature vectors used for fingerprint classification and personal authentication become information such as relative distance and angle with respect to a standard. The feature vectors are a combination of a core point, an ending point, bifurcation points of each ridge defining the fingerprint. By comparing the feature vectors with each other, the coincidence of the fingerprints is determined.
However, since the feature vectors for the fingerprint recognition are highly affected by a fingerprint inputting state that may vary depending on moisture, finger slip, finger press states and fingerprint input angle, the fingerprint recognition may be deteriorated.
Accordingly, in order to accurately recognize the fingerprint, specific reference information that is not varied even by the fingerprint inputting state and the fingerprint input angle is required. That is, specific fingerprint information that is not varied according to the user's fingerprint inputting state is required.
Particularly, when a user contacts his/her finger on a photographing device in a state where the finger is inclined, since the fingerprint image is inputted in a state where it is rotated, it is difficult to determine the coincidence and there may be a recognition error.